Internet scam uses bogus Trump article

Donald Trump has just revealed his secret plan to rescue the economy, provide wealth to millions of Americans and make America great.

And it’s working at home.

Sound suspicious?

That’s the content of a bogus news article supposedly from Fox News that’s part of an Internet scam that, at least initially, seems at least possible, before morphing into a pitch to get people to fork over cash for help in making money from home.

The fake news story, which purports to outline Trump’s “Income For Americans Plan,” is spam designed to look like content from Fox News.

“There are people who know how to make money very easily, and they’ve rigged the system for themselves without sharing their secrets with people who really need it,” the fake Trump says. “I’m going to change all that.”

The story, which at least initially seems possible as he speaks to a “packed auditorium,” soon veers off into fantasy land, urging people to stay home – and make money on the Internet.

It then urges them to use the “Home Cash Code” program and clearly turns into a marketing ploy, with seemingly standard news links all connecting to a ‘Home Cash Code’ page.

“There are plenty of scams on the Internet claiming you can make $50,000 a month, but that is exactly what they are, scams,” the article supposedly by Michael Pearson, Faith Karimi and Joe Sutton (a lot of authors for one piece) continues, gradually becoming clear that it’s a promotion, if not just a put on, and not an actual article.

The bottom of the page indicates none of the contents have “been evaluated or endorsed by Donald Trump or the Trump companies” and the piece is “purely for entertainment purposes only.”

And it adds that the “use of Fox News, FoxNews.com and any and all trademarks belonging to or relating to Fox News are used for entertainment purposes only.”

In case there’s any doubt, the disclaimer adds that all “quotations attributed to Mr. Trump in the above advertorial do not represent the opinions of Mr Trump in any way.”

Other versions of the same story come up on other links, including a variation on the name and brand of “thehonestinvestor.com,” halfway between parody and a pitch to make profits, show it as a CNN story.

If the ad is formatted like a news story, using famous names, it goes further than that, tapping into actual news.

Click on the links and they take you to Home Cash Code where an authentic-looking segment of a video about making money at home plays.

A segment from a real interview by Bala Cynwyd, Penn.-based WCAU NBC 10 anchor Tracy Davidson is positioned on top of links to Home Cash Code.

Segment from real newscast is used in marketing ploy.

If you want to know how the company says you can get rich, the answer is not real estate.

The site indicates you can make money posting links for companies, to help them sell their product.

And it offers a “certification program” that “guarantees you an immediate position of your choice as a Search Engine Agent.”

For $97, they promise to put you in touch with a “success advisor” along with other help.